The Obstacle is the Way

I wanted to share some thoughts regarding the topics of obstacles.  I did this a few years back, but recently transcribed the video.

Here's both.

 Here's the transcript for the video above. (sorry for the typos)

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Hey guys, hope you're doing good.

March the fourth -- fantastic day in my family at least, oldest son's birthday today. So hey, listen, I wanted to throw down some thoughts on walking the dog again, dogs plural. just rode the bike. And I was thinking about obstacles.

How many times have you been stopped by obstacles? I mean, I have 1000s of times. I've had obstacles today. I've let the obstacles rob me of my next steps, to be honest with you. But I've also found ways to leverage and get past it right. You've heard the phrase, the obstacle is the way, here's something that happened to me, I realized I was dealing with some obstacles. And I was actually the obstacles or external obstacles are internal. Okay.

I always make an excuses as to why I wasn't gonna get something done, why I didn't want to do what I wanted to. But I needed to do. What I need to do. And what I want to do are never the same.

By the way. Have you ever noticed that? But I was making excuses. But my excuses. I was trying, at least in my own mind, trying to make them sound like obstacles. Like, I don't know, there's some impediments. obstacles, guys. I don't know about you. But how often do I come up with really good excuses, good reasons why good explanations as to why shouldn't? Why couldn't? Why can't? Why won't. It's just an excuse.

Apologize for the wind. Don't let that obstacle throw you off. (laugh)

I wanted to share this thought with you. This is really convenient. For me, I'm doing some self coaching on myself, to be honest with you. Here's the thing, ask the why question.

Why is that an obstacle? Well, it is because because then all of a sudden, you just ratted out the excuse? You start asking the whys on those obstacles as to why you can't get something done. Maybe it's your taxes. Maybe it's that workout that you needed to get done that you say you're going to do, but you haven't done. Maybe you're like, Well, hey, you know, just past February 14. Now, you know, New Year's resolutions are old, they don't count anymore. I don't have to worry about them.

What's the Why? Why are you making up excuses? Why am I making up excuses. And, you know, I've got some pretty, what I feel like almost legitimate why's, but they're still excuses. Like, I'm really tired. Really? I just need a break. And yes, we need rest. We need need to recover, for sure. But don't let that get in the way.

Here's the key thing, guys, I don't want to you know, too much o'clock on this. There's so much more to unpack. But I just want to get through the nuts and bolts of this. Make those observations, observations, identifying what those obstacles are, if you don't identify what the obstacles are, then they'll always be obstacles, and you will always have excuses. At least for me. Right?

Identify what those obstacles are. ask why. Why is that an obstacle? Find out if you're just making up an excuse.

But then ask the other why question. Go deeper. Right? So if you say, Well, yeah, I just got so much to do. I don't have enough time. You know, there's just never enough time. Never enough time. Why? Why is it you don't have enough time?

And I'm asking myself this question guys. Well, because, you know, I've got this event, this meeting this this activity, these things going on? Well, why? Why do you have all those things going on? Well, because I've got and you start to unpack this thing. And all of a sudden, you got to shut away from the excuses and get to the root of it. In my case, it's well, I've said yes, maybe too many things. Not that that's an excuse that maybe I need to be able to say no to a few things. So I can say yes to the great things.

Because if I don't say no to a few things, I will not say yes to the great things. And I want to say yes to the great things. I want to get those things done. And maybe here's the killer. This is the awesome part. Maybe the obstacle is the way because when you observe and when you identify what those obstacles are, when you actually label those and identify what it is and you get down to the root of it. Then you're going to have the gumption to say well, no more excuses anymore, baby. I'm just going to go knock this out. I'm going to go chat and make some shifts do a little adjustment. I'm going to improvise if I have to adapt if I need to and overcome because I will Then no longer is the obstacle, the obstacle, the obstacle becomes a leverage lever. And that's pretty cool.

So guys, take time to identify your obstacles. Get down to the root cause of it, and then leverage it. Go do something about it. All right, make a difference. Let's do it together, guys. Okay, I'm right there with you.

Thanks.